The Red Dress
by AmeliaFJones
Summary: Carmen and her team, along with A.C.M.E., have finally defeated V.I.L.E. Carmen reflects on her life up to this point as she browses through dresses in a thrift store. Set in the 2019 reboot. CarmenxPlayer PlayerxCarmen Hatshipping. Songfic.


A/N: Part 3 of my little trilogy that I'm calling 'Our Feelings'. It's set to the song 'Something in Red' by Lorrie Morgan. My timeline here is that they're about 18 in the series and they defeat V.I.L.E. at age 20 and that's where the first flashback starts. Carmen and Player are 28 in the present.

**TW: Mention of abortion**. There's nothing graphic, it's just mentioned as an option.

Disclaimer: I do not own Carmen Sandiego or any of it's characters. I don't own the song I based this story on either. I do own the handful of OCs I created for this story, though.

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Carmen browsed through the dress rack at the thrift store, frowning. She just couldn't seem to find what she was looking for. She needed a red dress. Not just any red dress, either. One that was exactly, or at least similar to, the dress that had finally convinced Player to confess his feelings to Carmen 8 years ago.

~8 years ago~

Carmen stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. She had on a strapless red dress with lightly shimmering sequins. It clung to her curves nicely, especially the slit on the side that ended at her mid-thigh showing off her long legs which were accented by her strappy red heels. She had on a pearl necklace and simple pearl earrings adorned her ears. Her hair was placed in an up-do with two strands hanging on either side of her face. She could definitely knock a man dead in this.

'_In more ways than one._' She had thought with a chuckle.

She had finally achieved her dream of stopping V.I.L.E. It had taken the help of A.C.M.E., but the criminal organization had been revealed and stopped. Shadow-san hadn't been there when they had raided the Isle and that had had her a little worried. Her fears were unfounded, however, when she received an envelope with only the name Black Sheep on it. When she opened it, she found that it was Shadow-san's handwriting.

'_Black Sheep, I thank you for bringing V.I.L.E. down. I always knew you were too good for the life they lead. I am writing to let you know to not worry about me. I had my own goals to achieve and I have done so. I shall be in touch every now and then. I have a feeling the rest of the faculty will find a way out of custody. Be well, little Black Sheep.'_

It hadn't been signed. But she had expected that. He was always careful and disciplined. True to his note, a few weeks later she had found a request for her help in getting a priceless Japanese artifact back from Cookie Booker, who had managed to slip away from the A.C.M.E. agents that were moving her to a more secure facility. And that was how they continued their partnership.

She touched her ear reflexively, but there was no bug in it this time. She didn't need it tonight. Player was actually here with her. Yes, they had managed to get him over his agoraphobia long enough to get him back inside a building. Zack and Ivy had enjoyed the challenge. The party was being hosted by the Chief of A.C.M.E. to celebrate the end of V.I.L.E.

Carmen walked out of the bathroom and smoothed down her dress. She headed to the entrance of the ball room. Once she reached it, her breath caught in her throat at the sight before her. Player was waiting patiently, fiddling with the cuffs of his white dress shirt. The suit itself was black, but it fit him perfectly and his red tie completed the outfit. He was taller now and had broader shoulders than she remembered.

She hadn't known it at the time but, as Player would tell her later that night, he was just as affected by her as she was by him. She approached him and gave him a smile.

"You look great." She complimented.

"Thanks. I feel like a penguin." He stated, straightening his suit

"A very handsome penguin." She countered, laying her hand on his chest without thinking.

"Yeah, well I feel like I'm gonna be choked by this stupid tie." Zack's voice had broken the invisible bubble around Carmen and Player. She pulled her hand away from Player's chest quickly, hoping Zack hadn't noticed her slip. He hadn't. He was too busy tugging at the tie around his neck.

Ivy soon joined them, and they headed into the ballroom. The party was extravagant and lavish, as expected from an organization like A.C.M.E. Zack had immediately made his way over to the buffet table and Ivy was being chatted up by a cute A.C.M.E agent. That had left Carmen and Player together again. They were offered a glass of red wine by a passing waiter, but they declined as they were both still a year from being legal to drink.

Not too long after, the Chief had given a rousing speech thanking everyone who had a hand in bringing down V.I.L.E. Carmen and her team were called to the stage where they were given official A.C.M.E. badges and were sworn in as its newest agents. They left the stage as Inspector Devineaux and Agent Argent were called up and awarded with medals for their services to A.C.M.E.

After the speeches and awards had all been given, everyone was free to leave or enjoy the rest of the party. Zack looked like he was busy enjoying the food and Ivy was back to talking with the cute Agent again and she and Player just felt kind of awkward. Until he suddenly offered her his hand and bowed.

"May I have this dance, milady?" he asked in a posh accent, trying to wiggle eyebrows but failed. It made Carmen laugh.

"Yes, you may good sir." She had responded and they had danced.

It was the best dance she had ever had. His arms were strong and comforting as he twirled her around the dance floor. All those lessons in dancing she had given him before this party were paying off. After a few more dances they had left the floor and retreated to the balcony overlooking the terrace. They stopped at the railing and that was when Player told her about his feelings.

She had been surprised at first. So much so, that she had frozen. Poor Player began to apologize, thinking he had made a terrible mistake and that was when she snapped out of her shock. She placed a finger to his lips, looking up at him.

"I love you too." Was her response and then they shared their first kiss.

~Present~

Carmen smiled at the memory. That had been the start of their relationship and she still remembered the thrill of excitement as they began to really get to know each other more. He had finally given her his real name and it was a secret she guarded closely. They were both pretty awkward about doing the typical things couples did, seeing as neither had ever been romantically involved with anyone before, but with a little time and patience they had figured it out. They were both so innocent it was ridiculous looking back on it.

She frowned as she suddenly came across a green dress. That shouldn't be here. This particular thrift shop was notorious for keeping all of their clothes sorted by color and by clothing type. Must have been some customer too lazy to put it back where they had gotten it from when they decided they didn't want it. She pulled the dress from the rack and walked over to the green dresses and slid it back where it belonged.

Green. That had been the color dress she had picked to wear when she and Player had had their first real test of their relationship. She sighed and felt herself blush a little. She had been so petty in her jealousy. Looking back, she wasn't even sure why she had doubted Player.

~7 years ago~

Player had reconnected with a high school friend of his. A girl named, Emma. She had apparently gotten into computers in college and had decided to become a hacker as well. The way Player had told it, he had been shocked because she had been the school's 'Queen'. Not that that meant she was dumb, he explained, she was actually at the top of their class academically and got into Harvard on a scholarship. He just hadn't expected Emma to remember him, let alone talk to him.

It had made Carmen jealous. She had been the only girl in Player's life for so long, as he rarely left his room anymore, that she forgot he did at one point physically go to school. It reminded her again just how different their upbringings had been. She had felt inadequate, as she had only had a few years with Player, whereas Emma had known him since they were in elementary school. When he had shown her a picture of Emma, she felt her jealousy intensify.

Emma was gorgeous. She had beautiful blonde hair, smooth ivory colored skin, and bright blue eyes. She definitely fit the bill for the title of 'High School Queen'. It was even worse because they were going to have to team up on a case. She had been contracted by the Canadian government who was trying to catch a ring of people who were trying to smuggle Iroquois artifacts out of the country.

Normally Carmen would've been the first to jump into a case like that, but because of how Player so easily fell into playful banter with the girl Carmen had been hesitant. Player had noticed as well. She had shrugged it off as just apprehension as it was one of their first cases not involving V.I.L.E. Luckily for her, he had bought that lie. She would eventually tell him what was wrong, of course. But not until after she had almost royally messed things up.

Things had been going smoothly. They had tracked down the heads of the ring and were finally in a position to take them down. Carmen was to go undercover, she had chosen a flirty emerald colored dress with a sweetheart neckline along with pumps and purse that matched the color, at a party they were throwing to celebrate their perceived success at escaping the Canadian government's eye. While the Canadian government was set to raid the warehouse that the stolen artifacts were being kept in. Zack and Ivy were going to be on standby to help her get away once they were given the signal by Emma that the raid was complete.

Carmen had just gotten tired of the witty banter that was going on between Player and Emma. So, she had begun to flirt with the head boss, in an effort to make Player jealous of her. In her pettiness, she had failed to notice the glint in the boss's eyes after she had let slip her knowledge of the warehouse. She had also failed to notice his motion to his men. By the time she realized she had been made, they were already in position to attack. What followed was a blur of motion. Carmen still wasn't sure how she had managed to get out alive. As it was, she had taken a knife to the side and had been hit in the head with a baseball bat before the police had shown up.

Luckily, her blunder had happened as the raid team was clearing out the last of the artifacts. That had allowed them to dispatch the regular police force to the party location early and prevented any of the criminals from getting away. As she was being patched up, she could hear Player scolding her for doing something so reckless and she could only hang her head in shame because she knew he was right. She could barely look him in the eye when they were in the same room. She knew she had messed up.

"What happened out there, Red?" He had asked.

The words came tumbling out in a cascade of emotion. So did her tears. She explained how she had been jealous of Emma and Player. How she had felt inadequate appearance wise compared to Emma and how hearing him and Emma banter back and forth made her feel as though he was pulling away from her and going to Emma. As she was about to say more, he had placed his finger on her lips and looked her in the eyes.

"I love you, Carmen." Player started. "There is no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with. I will never want anyone but you." He kissed her softly and then proceeded to comfort her by telling her about his own former jealousy over Gray. To which Carmen scoffed and Player gave her a look that said, 'That's exactly how I feel about this situation.'

~Present~

Carmen could still see his expression and it made her laugh. She set the dress back on the proper rack and made her way back to the red dresses. She caught sight of the wedding dresses on her way and smiled. She had found her own dress at this same shop. She could've had any dress she wanted, given that she was not short on money.

However, Ivy was the practical one and convinced her that getting a wedding dress from a thrift shop would probably count as the 'something borrowed' part of the old wedding rhyme (1). Carmen wasn't too sure about that. She was pretty sure Ivy just wanted an excuse to look through the shop. Ivy seemed to be a big fan of thrifting. They hadn't been in there for more than 5 minutes before Carmen had fallen in love with a dress.

~6 Years ago~

Carmen stepped out of the changing room and twirled lightly for Ivy.

"Aw, Carm. Ya look beautiful! That dress is the perfect size too!"

"I know! That's the surprising part!" Carmen said, as she admired herself in the mirror.

It was a high low dress with a fairly long train and a corset top. The top was lightly sequined and gave it soft shimmery look. Ivy hurried off to look through the accessories to find a veil, but Carmen had noticed a pretty rose clip that would pair well with the dress and her hair. The veil Ivy found had a lacey design along its border and was pretty, but Carmen did prefer the rose clip. They went back and forth for a bit before compromising and combining the rose and veil which completed the look.

While Carmen went back into the changing room to get out of the dress, Ivy took off to find a dress suitable for a maid of honor. Carmen stepped out a few minutes later and found Ivy heading her way with various blue dresses. She couldn't make out anything else about it and smiled as Ivy stepped into one of the other changing rooms. After a brief fashion sow, Ivy settled on a tight fitting blue sequined one shoulder dress. With their dresses and accessories picked out, the girls had brought them to the front, bought them and then left.

The wedding itself had been simple. They had decided on getting married at Niagara Falls. It was easier on Player. While his agoraphobia was better, it wasn't completely gone. Carmen was more than willing to accommodate him.

Only a handful of their friends had been there. Ivy was her maid of honor and Zack was Player's best man. Agent Argent and Agent Devineaux had agreed to be part of the wedding party as well. It was officiated by The Chief, since neither Player nor Carmen wanted to leave any paper trails. The Chief had made up an official wedding certificate with their chosen fake names. It helped also that the Chief had begun to treat them like her own children.

As they were saying their vows, Carmen had caught a glimpse of movement in the background. She let her eyes drift to the back of the room and had to fight a smile showing on her face. Shadow-san had made it to the wedding. When he saw that she had noticed him, he gave her a bow and a smile. She looked back just as Player was sliding the ring on her finger.

After she and Player had shared their kiss, she looked to the back of the room but couldn't find him. The reception had been entertaining. Zack, predictably, was pigging out on food. Ivy was dancing with the cute A.C.M.E. detective, Shane, she had danced with years earlier. When Carmen tossed the bouquet, it was Ivy who caught it. Shane and Ivy shared a look and blushed.

She and Player broke away from the others and headed to their hotel suite, trusting the others to take care of cleaning and gathering up things. As they made their way in, she spotted a note resting on the bed. She and Player exchanged a look. Carmen made her way over to it. It wasn't signed, but she recognized the handwriting as Shadow-san's.

'_Black Sheep or rather, Miss Wolfhard (2), congratulations on your wedding. I wish you many years of happiness and am glad that I was able to see this day. Tell your new husband to make sure he treats you right, or there shall be severe consequences._'

~Present~

She couldn't help but smile at the thought. Shadow-san was still in contact with her. Only a few of the faculty had gotten free of A.C.M.E.'s captivity. Cookie Booker, Dr. Sarah Bellum, and Professor Maelstrom, specifically. So, of course Carmen and her team were always the ones put on those cases. Shadow-san was always helping from behind the scenes, much like he had all those years ago when she had escaped from V.I.L.E. Isle.

However, that knowledge had made the next step of her and Player's lives harder. She recalled as she took note of the blue children's clothes not too far from the wedding dresses. Due to a faulty condom and her birth control failing, Carmen had fallen pregnant. She and Player had a difficult time deciding what to do. Carmen absolutely refused to put the child up for adoption, since she knew what being abandoned felt like and couldn't see giving up a child as anything but abandoning it, and Player didn't want her to have an abortion. However, neither one was completely sure that raising the baby would feasible.

She was just starting to show when Shadow-san had sent her an article about a woman in Argentina being attacked for wearing a red trench coat. It was the picture that caught Carmen's eye. The woman looked almost identical to Carmen.

~5 years ago~

After a long conversation with Player, she got a plane ticket bound for Argentina. She was nervous as she landed. Not just for the chance that this woman might actually be her mother, but also because she was somewhat limited in her movements due to her baby bump.

It didn't take her long to find the woman in question. She was at a market in Argentina looking through a vegetable stand. Carmen made her way over to the woman but hesitated. Did she want to do this? What if the woman wouldn't talk to her? What if… her thoughts had been cut short as someone bumped into her.

The guidebook she had as a cover flew out of her hands and landed beside the woman. Carmen hurriedly ran over and began to reach down to pick it up but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see a face that looked almost similar to hers, except older and minus the eyes. The woman's eyes were deep brown instead of Carmen's grey blue.

"Please. Allow me." The woman said, in Spanish as she bent down to pick up the guidebook. She offered it to Carmen who took it gratefully.

"Thank you very much." Carmen replied, in perfect Spanish.

"When are you due?" The woman asked, smiling.

"The doctors say October, but I'm not sure that I want the baby." It was possibly naïve of her to trust the woman, but like with Player, there was something about this woman that put Carmen at ease.

The woman gave her a soft smile and turned to face her. She was the same height as Carmen. The woman took Carmen's hands in hers.

"Walk with me, please."

Carmen only nodded in response and followed her. They sat down at a café, ordered some food, and the woman introduced herself.

"My name is Isabella Rodriguez (3)."

"I'm Carmen."

"It is nice to meet you, Carmen. Forgive me for being nosey, but why are you unsure of having your child?"

"Well," Again, Carmen knew she shouldn't be so trusting but the warm look in the woman's eyes made Carmen feel at ease. "My life is not a peaceful one. I work as a detective and I am constantly travelling. Plus, I have many enemies."

The woman studied her thoughtfully. "Would I be right in guessing that you also have many friends? You do not seem the type of person who works alone."

Carmen was a little stunned. Isabella had a point. She did have a lot of friends. All of whom would protect the child she was carrying with their lives. She heard Isabella chuckle and looked at her.

"I see that it was not something you had considered." She said as the waiter arrived with their food. "Tell me, is the child's father in your life?"

"Yes. He's just as confused on what to do as I am." Carmen responded. "He doesn't want me to terminate the pregnancy, but I don't want to give the child up to an orphanage. I know how those systems are and it's why I donate money to try and make those children's lives a little better."

The woman nodded and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Both women began to eat their food. As they were almost done Isabella leaned forward and looked at Carmen intensely.

"I know that it is not my place as I have only just met you. But I think you should keep your baby. Would you indulge me and allow me to tell you my story?"

Carmen simply nodded. Isabella smiled and began to tell Carmen about her life. She was seventeen, almost 18, when she found out that she was pregnant by her boyfriend. They had been seeing each other in secret, against her family's wishes. They were well off, and Isabella's boyfriend, Mikhail, was a lowly carpenter.

When she had told Mikhail of her pregnancy, he was excited to be having a child. They had decided that they would elope and continue a life together. However, her father found out about their plans and had chased Mikhail out of their town by ruining his reputation. Thankfully, she stated, her father had had no idea of her pregnancy. But she didn't know what she could do.

She confided in her best friend, Maria, who was the daughter of a travelling physician. Maria helped her to hide the pregnancy and had her father deliver the baby but swore him to secrecy. Isabella recalled that she had the baby on March 1st and had only been able to spend a handful of hours with the little girl. Carmen's heart sped up at that detail. Her birthday was on March 1st.

She had given the little girl to Maria's father, along with a set of matryoshka dolls that Mikhail had made her as a gift on her sixteenth birthday and she wasn't sure what had happened to the baby after that. Carmen felt her eyes well up with tears. So those dolls had been made by her father and gifted to her by her mother. She would cherish them even more now that she knew their origin.

"Please do not cry for me." Isabella said, reaching over the table to wipe away a tear that had escaped. "I have made peace with my decision. I can only hope that my little Bella is happy and healthy."

"Bella?" Carmen questioned as she wiped away the tears in her eyes.

"Yes. That is the nickname I gave her. Her full name, had I been able to raise her with Mikhail, would have been Isabella Moreno Rodriguez-Avalon (4)."

Carmen felt her eyes begin to water again. Her name. An actual name. Not one she had had to make up. She quickly wiped them away and sniffled a little. "You've been through so much." Carmen replied when she caught the concerned look Isabella was giving her.

Isabella smiled at her. "I have. But it is alright. I am at peace."

"Were you ever able to get into contact with Mikhail?"

Isabella shook her head. "After my parents died in a car accident when I was 20, leaving me with the family estate and inheritance, I tried to find him. But I couldn't. So instead, much like yourself, I turned to helping orphans. I turned my estate into an orphanage. Complete with a full caring and devoted staff. Even if the children do not get adopted and age out, I make sure that they are all treated with love and have a home." She said, smiling.

"If you give me his name, I may be able to find him. I am the best detective in my agency. Give me your address and phone number as well and I'll get the information to you." She couldn't let the woman know who she was. It would put her and all of those children in danger. But she could give her mother this much, at least.

"Mikhail Aleksander Avalon." Isabella supplied, along with her address and phone number.

Carmen noted the name, address, and phone number down and smiled at Isabella as both women stood. Carmen gave Isabella her number, one belonging to one of several burner phones she had. "May I hug you?' Carmen asked as she stepped around the table, feeling herself get a little choked up.

"Absolutely you can, my darling." She stated as she stepped around the table with Carmen and gave her a tight hug. Carmen reveled in it. She was hugging her mother!

"Thank you so much." Carmen said as she pulled away, tears in her eyes once again. "You've really helped me with this. I will keep my baby. My husband and I can make it work. I'm sure we can." She stated, determination filling her.

"I am glad to hear that." Isabella replied as she picked up the check.

"Oh, no. Let me pay for it." Carmen insisted.

"Ah-ah-ah!" Isabella said, shaking her finger at Carmen. "It is my treat. I am just glad I could help another young woman through her troubles as Maria helped me. Now, go on. Get back to your husband and let him know the news."

~Present~

Carmen had done just that. She and Player had come up with a plan to take care of the baby. Zack and Ivy were the god-parents Player chose and Agents Argent and Devineaux were the ones Carmen had chosen. Keeping the baby had been the best decision they made. Little Aleksander was the light of their lives.

He was a perfect mix of the two of them. Carmen's grey-blue eyes and red-brown hair. Player's nose and chin. He was inquisitive just like Player, but adventurous like Carmen. She still had trouble believing she and Player had made something so perfect. Especially given the he was born on Halloween.

She returned to the rack of red dresses. The former V.I.L.E. members had been more active in the last few years, but with Player staying behind the scenes it had been easy for him to watch Aleks and still help the team. She had also made good on her promise to Isabella. She had found her father living in Argentina still, as a carpenter under the name Nicolai Petrov. She had met with him; he was a tall man with blonde hair that was turning silver and the same grey-blue eyes that Carmen had and had given him Isabella's information. A few months later she received a text message with a picture of Isabella and Mikhail with the children Isabella was taking care of.

She left them to their own devices, happy that she could give them both a little bit of closure. She had to focus on stopping the remaining former V.I.L.E. members. However, the thieving had finally slowed down in the last few weeks and Carmen was thankful. She was now looking for a way to bring back the romance in her and Player's lives. It had been a while since she and Player had been intimate. Carmen wanted to change that.

Which is why she found herself in this thrift store in the first place. Looking through these dresses trying to find… she paused as she caught sight of a shimmering red. She pushed the other dresses away and smiled as she pulled the dress off the rack. It wasn't quite like the one she had on when Player had confessed to her, but it was close enough. She looked at the size and gave a silent cheer that it was in her size. Her hips and breasts had grown after having Aleks, so it was little harder to find things in her size.

She looked over the dress again. It had sequins along the bodice. Instead of being sleek and having a slit in the side, it had a flowy skirt that would look nice if she twirled in it. It was strapless though, and that was the main thing. She quickly made her way up to the counter and paid for the dress. She then hurried out the door and quickly headed for home.

Player had finally gotten Aleks to sleep. He loved that his son was so inquisitive but answering so many questions at one time was exhausting. He wondered if this was how his parents had felt with him. He chuckled a little and headed for his and Carmen's room. He had heard her come in earlier and hadn't had a chance to greet her as he had been occupied with getting the boy dressed in pajamas and getting him to sleep.

He pushed open the door, a greeting on his tongue, but he paused and drank in the sight before him. Carmen was in front of their full body mirror wearing a flowy strapless red dress that was reminiscent of the one she had worn at the A.C.M.E. celebration for defeating V.I.L.E. He remembered that well. She had just twirled around, which had made the dress come up giving him a good look at the lacey underwear she had on underneath.

She stopped and turned when she spotted him in the mirror. He couldn't help but smile as he saw the light blush that had spread across her face. He crossed the room in only a few strides and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her hard and pressed their bodies tightly together. He pulled away after a few seconds and grinned down at her.

"I would ask you what you think, but you just gave me your answer." She said chuckling.

"I actually haven't." He stated, smiling mischievously at her. "I think…" He started, before he scooped her up bridal style and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down on it and grinned at her. "…that we should give Aleks that little sibling he's been asking for."

Carmen blushed, but her arms came up to wrap around his neck. "I couldn't agree more."

He smiled and they proceeded to do just that for the rest of the night.

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A/N: There you have it guys! It's my own little idea of how I think things should go. I mean, in all honesty, Carmen doesn't need to be with Player. That's just me being a shipper. But as far as Carmen's parents and such, since this is a reboot I think it would be better from a story standpoint if she wasn't related to anyone in V.I.L.E. That way she is further separated from her previous incarnations. After all, her previous incarnations were the ones who founded V.I.L.E. and, depending on the game or series, were either an antihero or were a straight up villain. This incarnation is a hero.

1) Something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new and a penny in your shoe. If anyone isn't familiar with it.

2) This is the last name of Player's current voice actor

3) Carmen's middle name in previous incarnations is Isabella, and Rodriguez is the last name of Carmen's current voice actress.

4) Moreno is the last name of the voice actress for Carmen in the Earth Series, as stated above, Rodriguez is the last name of the current voice actress, and Avalon is a reference to Malcolm Avalon from the Earth series who was speculated to be that Carmen's father.

I like references if you couldn't tell. Lol.


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